Sound Politics: Want higher taxes? Then pay more

March 31, 2010

Want higher taxes? Then pay more

The Washington Legislature just can't find one more penny of spending to cut, so they have to force you and me to pay more for the state's high-paid employees. EFF WA They need a new source for the revenue they need.

There are so many people in favor of higher taxes in this state; Olympia is crawling with them. Let them pay more

"Don't cut here; don't cut there." Surely they will pay voluntarily pay higher taxes when they are given the opportunity.

Hey, Legislature: Create a way that people can voluntarily pay additional taxes.

Virginia tried it and collected $1500 this year. Old Dominion Watchdog

As disputes rage in Richmond over proposed fees to balance the troubled state budget, some citizens want to send even more than they have to into a fund that collects voluntary giving to the state.

But not many.

Contributions to the "Tax Me More Fund" have hovered between $1,000 and $1,700 most years ever since lawmakers created it in 2002, according to the Virginia Department of Taxation. Exceptions include the fund's first year, when taxpayers contributed $6,602, and a low point in 2006 when $19.36 was do

Arkansas, Massachusetts, Kansas and New Hampshire have voluntary funds. Probably other states as well.

And the United States government accepts gifts. Treasury Direct - They received $3 million last year from 300 million people; that's one cent per person.

Posted by Ron Hebron at March 31, 2010 08:46 AM | Email This

Comments

1. There is a nearly identical entry. I deleted it, but the DB hasn't updated. Leave your comments on this entry.

Posted by: Ron Hebron on March 31, 2010 09:37 AM

2. It's like when I asked Bruce to pay the actual costs of his solar panel installation rather than the subsidized costs. Liberals are always willing to spend more of someone else's money.

Posted by: Jeff B. on March 31, 2010 09:42 AM

3. My guess is that taxpayers contribute more than $1500 per year to bums on the streets of Seattle. Maybe the state legislators should take to the streets with tin cups. Anyway, Washington State already has a way to voluntarily contribute...The Washington State Lottery.

Posted by: Jack on March 31, 2010 09:44 AM

4. '...to bums on the streets...'

PLEASE...shouldn't that be 'displaced homeowner'. :)

Posted by: Duffman on March 31, 2010 09:53 AM

5. Bwahahah...very good Duffman. : )

Posted by: Jack on March 31, 2010 10:03 AM

6. hey...those bums are loyal voters....

Posted by: lee on March 31, 2010 10:05 AM

7. Jeff@2, you must be confusing me with someone else; I never said anything about solar power. But.... are you willing to pay the actual costs of your electricity use?

Posted by: Bruce on March 31, 2010 10:10 AM

8. When I filed MA income taxes for a bunch of years, I always the option of paying a voluntary higher tax rate.

I never chose to do so.

I don't know anyone who did.

Posted by: pudge on March 31, 2010 12:43 PM

9. ...which proves that liberals are lying when they say they are willing to pay more. Actually, they're only willing to FORCE everyone else to pay.

Posted by: Michele on March 31, 2010 03:43 PM

10. Michele, have you ever run a business? Did you rely on voluntary contributions?

Your use of "lying" is inane. Geez, even pudge didn't use that word -- his favorite -- in his comment just above yours! Is he getting soft, or are you getting more ridiculous?

Posted by: Bruce on March 31, 2010 05:50 PM

11. lol, Bruce--I know a little something about self-employment. Real businesses rely on people who voluntarily walk through the door every day. You must earn your reputation as a business every single day. No one is forced to come in. There are no guarantees.
Taxation FORCES people to pay. Even if the service is crappy (have you SEEN the way the pols are running Social Security and Medicare???--they're going broke and they have fraud, etc)

The fact that almost no one in liberal Massachusetts (or anywhere else) pays extra tax voluntarily is very telling. Why Bruce, I bet you don't pay a cent more on your federal income tax than you have to. Why? We thought you were all for that sort of thing. If you're not, then you should probably stay quiet.

Posted by: Michele on March 31, 2010 06:46 PM

12. Btw, this state indeed needs a "tax me more" fund, so people like Bruce can put their money where their mouths are. Right, Bruce?

Posted by: Michele on March 31, 2010 06:51 PM

13. So how many people on here refused to accept Obama's stimulus checks? Or Bush's stimulus checks for that matter?

Hardly any people will voluntarily pay extra taxes, just like hardly any people will reject money given to them by the government.

Posted by: Richard Pope on March 31, 2010 08:14 PM

14. The stimulus check wasn't money given to me by the government. It was my money given back to me.

Posted by: Dave on March 31, 2010 09:43 PM

15. I'm sure we all recall John Kerry not paying more when he was given the option to do so as Pudge alluded to above with regard to the option of paying more in MA. From what I've seen posted on various on-line sites, the cheap bastard multi-millionaire Kerry would have paid only a whopping $2,174 more that year, but then, actions are always stronger than words, especially when dealing with Democrats.

According to the Howie Carr show that pursued why Mr. Ed decided to check the lower taxed box, the spokeshole stated:

"Why do you even call asking about this?" his spokesman, Michael Meehan, said Saturday morning. "He has made the same decision as 99.9 percent of his fellow Massachusetts residents."

If this doesn't define the hypocrisy of liberalism, I don't know what does.

Posted by: Rick D. on March 31, 2010 09:54 PM

16. Sorry Bruce, must have been some other liberal.

Posted by: Jeff B. on April 1, 2010 12:34 AM

17. Richard @13, reject the stimulus checks? Why? It's our own money returned to us. But, did you or tax-us-more-liberals voluntarily returned the checks and some more of your hard earned dollars to IRS as voluntary tax?

Posted by: DoppioLover on April 1, 2010 01:07 AM

18. Stimulus check? What stimulus check?

Posted by: Michele on April 1, 2010 07:39 PM

19. The waste is all at the top.

WMS

EMS

The real "untouchables".

80 to 120 K and up for the political cronies.

While the public is duped into worrying about the janitor's step increase and medical plan.

Posted by: JoeBandMember on April 1, 2010 08:07 PM